


silver haze all around (don't know if I'm going up or down)

by I_love_taejin



Category: Monsta X (Band), Winner (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Auror seokjin, Fantasy, Harry Potter References, Kim Seokjin | Jin is So Done, Kim Taehyung | V Is Bad at Feelings, M/M, Ministry of Magic, Pining, Soulmates, St mungo healer, TaeJin - Freeform, Veela Mates, Veela Taehyung, Wizards, also there's one surprise pairing, auror hyunwon, every mentioned character appears, half blood prince seokjin, healer jongsuk, pure blood taehyung, yeontan(bangtan)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-02-18 23:56:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13111266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_love_taejin/pseuds/I_love_taejin
Summary: Finding hallways filled with Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder and Decoying Detonators, wasn't something Seokjin hasn't dealt with before while patrolling the Ministry of Magic at nights.Finding a veela on the very same floor was.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to one of my most favorite Taejin fic author for being my knight in shining armor (aka beta reader) ; @airiblu

Seokjin stepped out from the elevator into a hall of utter chaos, loud bangs of commotion echoing across the white hall. Level two of the Ministry of Magic was never the place one would expect to have any sort of tranquility, but the Detection and Confiscation office being at the center of the chaos wasn't something you see everyday. 

Well, until someone knocked over a mass of confiscated products on the floor. It was known to happen on occasion, especially if new recruits were in charge of the office. 

He hurried past the Aurors office to head into the source of commotion. Only four other Aurors are supposed to be on night patrolling duty tonight, and Seokjin just happened to be on level two. Splendid. 

Judging by the looks of it, chaos was a vast understatement. Half of the department was covered with black smoke and the only thing loud enough to hear over were decoying detonators exploding and footsteps of wizards on level one against the white marble floor. The department probably had interns in charge of it because most of the staffs haven't returned from overtime.

Seokjin saw another Auror entering the hall right after him, and they both reached for the wands, muttering spells to lift the cover of thick black fog. They only succeeded partially. Seokjin cursed. Had to be the work of Peruvian instant darkness powder. As the brother of an infamous prankster, he should know by now that trying to lift the fog was pointless at this stage.

"Do you reckon one of the interns cocked up, Seokjin hyung?" Hyungwon wondered.

Seokjin just shrugged; he really didn't want to deal with extra work on a Monday night. He was already exhausted enough as it was.

"Might as well be, Kim Jinwoo hasn't still returned from overtime so he must've left someone in charge. At least that's what I hope it is. You take the right way, I'll take left." 

Hyungwon nodded as he flicked his wand in front of him to lift off smoke as he goes.

Both Aurors walked cautiously not to step over running and spontaneously exploding detonators. Seokjin hated this stuff with a passion. It was hard to get rid of them. 

After a while he found was someone with a blob of silver hair in ministry official robe curled up under the desk.

Probably one of the new recruits. Seokjin could barely make out the person in the darkness. So he inched closer to him, kneeling down.

The person had his eyes shut tight and was shaking rather violently. Seokjin cast enchantments to see if he was an imposter. When none of his spells revealed anything strange about the employee, he reached out his hands to touch him. 

He felt strangely familiar to Seokjin, even though he couldn't still take in his features in the dimly lit hall. He had probably seen person somewhere around the ministry.

"Hey are you okay?" The bloke slowly shook his head, muttering something under clattering teeth. 

"Go away."

Seokjin refused. The bloke was in a bad condition and his Auror training could definitely help to improve his conditions. He didn't spend hours studying healing for nothing. But the person wasn't under any curse. Could it be effects of any potion? Maybe he was just anxious from doing overtimes and ended up delirious with overdose of anti-anxiety potions.

"It's okay, I can help you. We met before remember? I won't hurt you." 

He slowly lifted his head to glance at Seokjin, as if to identify him.

"Transformation," the bloke replied in a tone barely above a whisper. 

"Transformation? You need to be a bit more specific.," he said, a slight panic at his words. Transformation could only apply to non-human wizards and Merlins help if the wizard turns out to be a werewolf. The wizard suddenly let out a groan as he winced in pain.

"I'm a veela. Part veela." Seokjin's eyes widened as realization hit. Veela transformations we're known to be as painful as werewolves one. Thankfully, he never had the opportunity to witness either of those transformations until now.

Hyungwon joined his side as he finally succeeded in lifting the fog and destroyed the remaining detonators. "Should we summon Saint Mungo's healers, Seokjin hyung? We can even take him there." 

The guy opened his entrancing silver eyes to look at Hyungwon and shook his head furiously.

"No please, no. They just tie our kind up." The bloke almost growled as sound of clothing tearing apart echoed the hall. He let out another painful scream as scaly wings started coming out of his back. He instinctively reached out and grabbed Seokjin's wrist; almost clawing at it.

He instinctively reached out without even thinking the possibility of ending up with gashes on his arm. Wrapping his other arm around the person, he tried to steady the horribly shaking veela. 

"We won't. Look at me, it's gonna pass away soon. Just breathe." The veela locked his eyes with him for the first time. He saw silver specks around his iris slowly starting to dissolve into a shade of charcoal black. 

The veela screamed at the top of his lungs in excruciating pain as his wings started to fold and slowly retract into his back. Leaving large gashes on his back where they originally sprout out from. Shimmering silver hair faded away into gold-white as he let out loud sobs.

"This can't be- " the remaining words died on his tongue as the male collapsed onto Seokjin's arms.

Seokjin held him tightly against his chest, cushioning his fall. The last thing the veela heard before blacking out was hurried footsteps and someone with a familiar voice calling out his name.

 

___________________

 

At Aurors training; they teach you about all the incantations, potions, healing spells - almost everything you’d ever need to know to prepare yourself for carrying out orders with a stable and properly mind. 

And Seokjin always took pride in maintaining composure under dire situations. But now, his mind was in a daze for the past hour. He didn't even know if he should leave or not. So he just sat there, staring at the pale guy in front of him. 

Kim Jinwoo, the head of Detection and Confiscation office entered the hall seconds after the male passed out. They used magic to lift him up and laid him down in the infirmary. Since Jinwoo insisted his employee hated hospitals, that option was crossed out long ago. However, they couldn't completely heal the large gashes on his back. All they could do right now was to sit and wait till he wakes up.

When Jinwoo and Seokjin were the only ones left inside the infirmary, Jinwoo took a sit beside Seokjin and asked about what happened back there. Seokjin described it in every single detail until Jinwoo stopped him in between his sentences.

"Hang on, you mean to me tell that Taehyung is part veela who happened to be going through a transformation?" Jinwoo's eyes widened.

Taehyung, that must be his name. Seokjin's eyes landed on Taehyung stretched out on a bed upon acknowledging his name. His name was unfamiliar to him though the person himself wasn't.

 

He met Taehyung for the first time exactly two weeks ago on Florence and Flotesco Ice-cream parlor. The whole level two decided to take a break after running errands for a hectic week. Most of the wizards settled for having a hearty dinner while Seokjin gave in to his craving for ice cream. Only one wizard in green ministry robes was seated at the parlor besides himself. Seokjin walked towards his booth.

"Mind if I sit here?" Seokjin used his most persuasively charming voice to spare himself the awkwardness of sitting beside chatty Hogwarts students. The bloke looked up to lock eyes with Seokjin and smiled as he nodded. Seokjin froze in his place at his smile. The person was startlingly good looking with his lanky build, boxy smile, taupe hair and luscious lips. 

"My pleasure." Seokjin took the opposite seat while he gulped down a huge spoonful of ice cream, making his lips puff out. Seokjin couldn't help smiling at the scene before him. Handsome and cute.

He never admitted to having a specific type, but if he did this boy would definitely fit in there. He thought it would be appropriate to make conversations while he waits for his order. Anything to distract him from staring at the guy a bit too long.

"Tough day?" Mr. seductive-boxy-smiles chuckled at Seokjin's words. 

"Not really. I'm one of the new recruits so the whole department having to run errands means no one to boss us around. " He smiled to himself. 

Seokjin remembered his days as one when all he did was running around with frantically and filling reports for over hours every time they gained new information about dark wizards. "Wait till they finish eating. First thing they'll do is assign you all to write the reports." Seokjin chuckled while Taehyung groaned.

"Actually I am supposed to submit them at one pm- Merlin's beard it's already one pm!" Taehyung shuffled to his feet in a hurry; almost knocking down his chair as he shoved the rest of the ice cream in his mouth.

"I'm sorry, I have to leave you Seokjin. I really enjoyed talking with you. Maybe we can do this again another time?"

"Sure. Wait.. how do you know who I am?" Seokjin quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I'll hold on to that information for meeting a second time." He threw a cheeky wink towards Seokjin and sauntered out of the parlor as if he just won a jackpot. 

Seokjin couldn't stop thinking about golden skin and deep husky voices for the rest of that day. He couldn't help smiling every time he thought about it either.

 

\--------- 

 

Seokjin almost got lost on his trail of thoughts until Jinwoo called out his name. "Well he didn't really transform per se. Only his eyes and hair went all sliver and his skin looked really pale. When I looked him directly in the eyes though, they slowly turned into their normal shade-" Seokjin got cut off mid-sentence again.

"Seokjin, do you realize what it means? A veela's transformation stopped when you hugged them. That's something really significant for Taehyung." Jinwoo put a hand on Seokjin's shoulder. Seokjin wanted to let Jinwoo know the only thing he realizes is how they should've taught them some bloody things about veelas in Auror training. And no, I have no bloody freaking idea what it means!

"I don't know even know much about veelas." Seokjin shook his head. Jinwoo's eyes widened at realization. A half blood Auror didn't even need to know anything about veelas to go on in their lives, he should be thanking the Lords that Seokjin even recalls the the vague paragraph on them in fifth year. Or else he would be stuck here till dawn explaining the existence of them.

"It's not my place to tell you this but.. you need to know this." Jinwoo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Veelas have soulmates. Their veela instincts chooses soulmates to find the person who completes them in personality. An other half of them to be precise.”

"Okay. But why are you telling me all this now hyung?" Seokjin couldn't fathom for the love Merlin why Jinwoo would chose this precise moment to mock the absence of his knowledge of veelas. On the job requirement, Care of Magical Creatures wasn't even included.

"Because Seokjin, the only person who can stop the transformation of a veela is their soulmate." Seokjin felt his breath hitching. 

Merlin's beard. Veela’s have soulmates?!

"You are his soulmate, Seokjin." Seokjin stares at Jinwoo with bewildered eyes. This can't be happening.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" He carefully chose his words after he's had time long enough to process what's happening. 

"It means you both are tied to each other for life. The veela properties of his blood will seek you out when you are away for him for too long." Jinwoo tore his gaze away from them and stared out the window. The thought of being tied down to Taehyung in a way didn't seem to bother Seokjin, as much as the very idea of being entitled to something he even can't grasp the thought of did. And suddenly the idea of fleeing the scene became very tempting.

"What if one of us doesn't keep up their end of bond or tries to break it?" Seokjin wandered out aloud. He still didn't know who he was asking for, him or Taehyung.

"Then the veela-"

"Hyung.." Taehyung stirred in his bed as he groaned in pain. Seokjin shifted all of his attention from their conversation to the person lying beside them. He felt something prickling at his eyes at the sight. Taehyung's charm and grace was his gift and curse at the same time. He looked beautiful, yet so miserable.

The woman in the infirmary rushed to Taehyung to haul him up from his bed, and made him take a utterly disgusting looking potion to heal him. Seokjin gazed at him while Jinwoo got up from the bed beside Taehyung and sat on Taehyung's bed. Slightly blocking Taehyung's sight so he wouldn't spot Seokjin right away. He wasn't sure if he should let them have a conversation or if he should give both of them some time to think.

Jinwoo looked utterly exhausted. He ruffled Taehyung's hair gently " Taehyung-ah, how do you feel?" 

"Like shite. My back hurts so much." Taehyung bit the insides of his cheeks to stop more tears from rushing out. 

"I shouldn't have left you here all on your own." Jinwoo felt guilty for leaving his friend all alone. 

"It would have been the same if you were here. And I'm sorry for the mess hyung. Those bloody decoying detonators were exploding  
everywhere! I panicked and knocked down the box of Peruvian instant darkness powder and that's how I ended up getting anxious to ...you know.” Taehyung gave him a tight lipped smile. 

"It’s fine. Nothing some Aurors couldn't fix.” Jinwoo gave him a warm smile. “I'm just glad you are okay. Speaking of Aurors, there's someone here to see you." Jinwoo slowly stood up so Taehyung could see Seokjin seated on the bed beside him.

The moment Taehyung looked at him through half lidded eyes and Seokjin watched his quivering lips stretch into a genuine smile, Seokjin felt all thoughts of fleeing the place leave his mind. Suddenly his mind filled up with thoughts of tracing golden skin with his fingertips.

Seokjin smiled back at him. Jinwoo stood up to give them some space alone to take in what just happened. Besides, looking at Taehyung's innocent smile; Jinwoo felt the poor bloke probably doesn't remember any of the incidents taking place hours ago.

It was a lot for both of them to take in; Jinwoo could only hope it works out for the favor of both of them.

"You know you could just walk up to my department and tell me your name instead of going all veela transformation on me," Seokjin smirked at Taehyung who was carefully sipping on water until Seokjin's words made him choke on it. Seokjin rushed to his side and gently patted his back. Taehyung coughed until he had tears forming in his eyes.

"Hey, Taehyung; I was joking. I know you had no control over the situation." Seokjin held Taehyung in his arms and wrapped them around his waist again. Taehyung's cheeks were tinted a slight pink at the close approximation.

"How do you know my name? Did Jinwoo hyung told you? " Seokjin nodded in reply. 

"Taehyung, what happened back there?” Seokjin didn't know how to break this to him; hell he didn't even know what to make out of this situation. So he decided to let Taehyung figure this out eventually and help along the way.

“Okay, so I was checking confiscated magical belongings. Some of them were of Hogwarts students so I didn't thought much of it. I saw those decoying detonators and elevated them; what I didn't figure was these stuff now has timer on them and are going to start multiplying at that time anyway.” Taehyung started moving his hands around frantically while telling Seokjin of the events.

“Okay, so you remember telling me that you are a veela?” 

“Yes, but I think I blacked out after that. Do you know exactly what happened after that?” Taehyung looked at him with hopeful eyes. Lord save me.

“ Well ... your wings started coming out and you were screaming in pain so I hugged you without thinking of any other way to help you calm down. And.. your transformation.. stopped.” Taehyung’s eyes widen at Seokjin's words. 

“You did what?” Taehyung gasped as he felt shivers run down his spine.

“I stopped your veela transformation.”

“Which makes you my.. Merlins... what have I -” Teardrops streaked down Taehyung's cheeks. Seokjin slowly reached out his hands and wiped the stray tears away. Taehyung shifted his gaze from Seokjin to his hands. When his expression of guilt suddenly turned into something close to horror, Seokjin followed his gaze and realized what Taehyung was looking at.

“Did I- do that? Did I hurt you?” Seokjin mentally cursed himself for not being more careful on hiding the scar.

“What? No! You didn't hurt me Taehyung, you probably couldn't even see me in the darkness. And it's just a scratch.” Seokjin covered his hand by pulling his sleeve down to keep it out of Taehyung's eyesight.

Taehyung suddenly let out a sob and covered his face with his still shivering hands. ”I’m so sorry. I never wanted this to happen to you.”

"It's okay, Taehyung you didn't get to make the decision.” He shook his head with tears in his eyes.

“But it really is my fault. I should've just stayed away-” Taehyung's voice sounded like it was breaking. Seokjin trailed his hand up and down his arms in a soothing motion as he fixed his stare on the floor. It was heartbreakingly painful to watch Taehyung at the moment. “Seokjin.” Seokjin looked up to meet his eyes which were a deep shade of brown. “I just want you to know, you have a choice. Heck I don't even know whether you have someone or not-”

“But I don't. Have someone you know.” Seokjin tried to assure him that he didn't just chose someone already taken. Seokjin understood why Taehyung looked so guilt ridden with the thought, but somehow he didn't find the idea of staying beside Taehyung uncomfortable.

“Just.. think about it okay? Promise me you'll think about it without diving headfirst into anything. Without feeling any sense of obligation.” Seokjin felt vaguely confused now. Does Taehyung mean he didn't have a choice in the first place? Does he want me to be sure that I accept this- whatever you call this. “Seokjin, please promise me this.” 

“I promise.” Seokjin gave his word though he had no idea what in Heavens he promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1.the very idea of this fic came the moment I saw Taehyung in taupe - sliver- brownish hair.  
> 2.also Seokjin as a Auror seemed really fitting.  
> 3\. if you are confused about their blood purity; Seokjin is a half blood while Taehyung is a pureblood wizard.  
> 4\. appreciation in any form is always appreciated.  
> 5\. all the information about veelas and Ministry of Magic is taken from hpwiki  
> 


	2. Chapter 2

“Hyung! You won't believe what happened today.” Namjoon descended the stairs of their mansion in such a hurry that he missed a step, landing at the bottom, almost breaking the wand inside his cloak in half. Seokjin scoffed at the sight.

The familiar sound of Seokjin’s sugar gliders screeching- the unusual gift from their parents- and Namjoon tumbling and breaking things while Seokjin laughed loudly at him, usually echoed across the hallways, providing comfort to any of their friends who decided to crash for the night. Other times when Namjoon wasn't around, the huge mansion felt too empty to Seokjin. Their parents were rarely around.

“You won't believe what happened today either,” Seokjin sighed as he slumped on the huge velvet covered sofa; motioning his younger brother to seat beside him.

“Hyung, is everything okay? You look as if you aged five years in a single night.” 

“I probably have. I just discovered that I have a soulmate. A veela soulmate,” Seokjin sighed.

“You have a what?! How?” Namjoon looked awed and Seokjin started recalling earlier events of that day.

“So Taehyung told you to make a decision without feeling obligated?” Namjoon asked him with wide eyes.

“Frankly, I don't reckon why he said that?” Seokjin said, confused.

“Hyung, how much do you know about veelas?” 

Okay, so Seokjin had hated Care for Magical Creatures when he was at school. . But that doesn't mean he should get attacked for not paying attention, twice in the same night. It wasn’t as if you needed to know about veelas to become an Auror.

“Honestly, I never regretted not paying attention to Care of Magical Creatures before tonight.” 

“No hyung! You’re not getting the point! Veela magic is some of the most ancient magic there is. And like all other ancient magic, it can be lethal to some extent.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Lethal, as in your soulmate is going to suffer a painful death if you choose not to accept him as yours. He probably meant not to think about his life while you are deciding whether you’ll accept him or not.” Seokjin almost jumped out from the sofa in disbelief. He knew not being with soulmates were mentally exhausting for magical creatures. But death? 

“He thinks I am gonna let him die on me?! Wait... he can actually die on me?” Seokjin yelled. Namjoon nodded, which wasn’t reassuring in the slightest.

“But Taehyung is only part veela, so I don't think being away from me- his mate would kill him. Perhaps he could be sick but not to that extent,” Seokjin suggested hopefully. “But what do I do now? I don't even know him that well, Joon. I don't think I’m even ready for this right now. I need time to think about this.” 

Seokjin sighed.

 

“Do you think he's worth a shot, hyung? If he is, then just talk to him about this.” 

Seokjin thought maybe talking to his brother would someone ease things for him (like it always does) but now somehow things were way more complicated than before. Seokjin slowly drifted off to sleep with an unsettling feeling in his stomach, tomorrow would not go well.

___________

Seokjin rushed off to the Ministry in record time the next day. He had to find Taehyung before he leaves the country for two weeks and try to sort things out. He wasn't sure about this but he wanted to tell him that they should at least give this a chance. If it worked, then it worked. It didn't.. well they can cross that bridge when it came to it. But if he vanished without a word now, Taehyung would surely take this as a rejection. 

He almost bumped into Park Jimin in his hurry . “Hyung, Namjoon told me-” Seokjin waved off the handsome blond without slowing his pace.

“I’ll tell you later Jimin!” 

Jimin gave him a knowing smile, which turned his eyes into crescent moons. At this point, Seokjin wasn't even surprised that Namjoon had spilled the beans to his best friend in less than three hours. 

“Good luck Seokjin hyung!” Seokjin sighed, considering only luck was on his side in the first place. Which doesn't seem like a possibility since luck doesn't come in the form of Park Jimin spilling the tea about his colleague's love life.

He went straight to Taehyung's department, only to find it empty. Seokjin asked around about him only to find out that Taehyung didn't have morning shifts, only night shifts. This left him with no choice but to leave the Ministry without informing Taehyung he’d been there. He knew it would seem like putting up red flags around him with 'unavailable’ written boldly. But he had no choice other than that. He could tell someone else to deliver the message for him, he probably would if he didn't feel a bit dejected. Taehyung owed him an explanation as much as he owed him one. Maybe he was the one who didn't want to make any decisions right now. 

Maybe because he didn't want to be in a situation with me. Seokjin decided to ignore the voice inside his head, this can wait.

 

____________

 

Seokjin returned utterly exhausted from Alaska after three weeks, the aftermath of a gruesome hunt for a dark wizard. He tried to find Taehyung in an attempt to resolve whatever was between to resolve with no avail. Taehyung was nowhere near sight. Seokjin found Jinwoo instead.

“Hyung!” Jinwoo smiled at Seokjin's enthusiastic greeting. They haven't known each other for long but he came to admire and respect the older male for his kind heart and sunshine like aura. So despite their age difference and the short span of months they got to know each other, Seokjin got along pretty well with him.

After asking about usual stuff, he found out that Taehyung asked about Seokjin the day he left during his shift. Two days after that day, he was coming down with something and took a leave for three weeks. Seokjin felt bad about forgetting to send owls to Taehyung. In Seokjin's defense, he had sent an owl. But the only owl he could find in the past week was infamous for getting lost.

 

“Seokjin, you should go visit him,” Jinwoo suggested. 

Seokjin pondered on the thought for a while. It was his fault not to leave a message for Taehyung before leaving so he felt vaguely guilty.

 

“I don't know where he lives though. And I don't think It’d be proper to just burge in even if I knew.”  
Jinwoo shook his head at Seokjin's words childishly.

 

“I can take you there right now if you want. Besides you owe me one for backing you up to Yoongi, since I don't have the time to take Taehyung's consent about new policies, I’m gonna send you there anyway.” Jinwoo seemed optimistic about the idea and honestly Seokjin didn't have it in him to say no to him. 

 

Seokjin hand absentmindedly went up to his hair. Now? In Ministry uniform, dishevelled hair and reeking of unicorn blood? It's not that Taehyung hasn't seen him in a caffeine induced state of forty hours already but he sure as heck wouldn't prefer meeting anyone at this state. 

“I will meet you in five minutes in Level One then.” Seokjin hurried off to his cubicle and found extra clothes he kept in his lockers. He picked out a black shirt, changing his plain white one and fixed his appearance with charms. 

Five minutes later, both him and Jinwoo were standing in front of a large mansion, not much different to the one Seokjin and Namjoon lives in. Jinwoo had only ten minutes to spare, so he summoned a house-elf in a pink piece of cloth and told him to take Seokjin to Taehyung before disapparating into thin air.

The elf gave him a deep bow before offering his hand. “Takoya at your service, sir.” Seokjin chuckled at the name and bowed back. He didn't know which was more amusing, the fact that Taehyung had a free elf in his house or that he named him Takoya.

“I'm Kim Seokjin, I’m - Taehyung's friend,” he said, and kept it at that. 

Takoya squealed happily. “Of course, sir. I think he’ll be delighted to see you.” The elf took Seokjin's hand and apparated him into a hallway. 

Seokjin was rather inclined to disagree with the sentiment.

“Would you like to meet Kim Taehyung-sshi right away, sir? Or would you prefer a tour of the house?” Seokjin honestly wanted to get this whole thing sorted out as soon as he could, so he opted for for the first option. Soon he found himself standing in front of bundled blankets on a huge sofa, slowly heaving up and down. He sat down, slowly pulled back the blanket away from where taupe strands of hair was peeking to reveal his slumbering soulmate. 

 

Taehyung looked ghastly pale, curled under his blankets. Seokjin couldn't guess for how long has he been lying like this. He brought his hand to swipe away the bangs from the sleeping Taehyung's eyes, accidentally touching forehead to find his skin unusually cold. “Taehyung?” 

 

Taehyung stirred his sleep at his name, but was still in a deep slumber. Seokjin called out his name a few times until a tiny fluffy creature with white eyebrows came out from under the table, startling him. To his amusement, it sniffed him and let out a bark with his all might. Taehyung slowly opened his eyes at the loud bark. His eyes fell straight on Seokjin who was still hovering over him and he stared at him a whole minute until he recognized him. “You’re… here,” Taehyung said in a tone of vague disbelief.

“I- Jinwoo brought me here when I asked for you.” Seokjin felt a tug on his heart at Taehyung’s state. 

“But I thought you left- “ Taehyung stopped abruptly. Seokjin knew though, Taehyung had thought he was getting left behind.

“I left Ministry because of the wizard hunting. This one to be precise.” Seokjin pointed on the headline of a copy of The Daily Prophet lying on the coffee table. There was a black and white moving picture above the article. “I even tried to find you before the huntdown but you were on night shifts.” 

“Why were you trying to find me, Seokjin?” Taehyung fixed his stare on the window behind Seokjin, looking anywhere but him.

“Just wanted to resolve whatever situation we are in right now. And not-oh-so-surprisingly, I was geniuely concerned about your well-being.” Seokjin deadpanned.

“Is that why you’re here? To make sure I’m not dead yet?” He blurted out, more biting than Seokjin had anticipated.

“Taehyung.” Seokjin felt blood rushing to his face, furious and confused; he stared at him. “What exactly do you want to imply by that?”

 

“I'm saying it how it must be. You left me wondering without saying anything at all, Seokjin. What else am I supposed to think? And I'm not implying-” Seokjin put his hand on the air to stop Taehyung mid-sentence. Seokjin thought of many scenarios but he couldn't believe it would come to the only thing he didn't want it to be.

 

“Is that what you think I’m doing right now? Pitying you? Worrying myself to the point of almost becoming an insomniac, just out of sheer pity for you?” 

 

“How could I know that's it's not only pity, Seokjin? This soulmates thing is only applicable to me. It's only-” Taehyung’s voice broke mid-sentence. He looked so broken and confused but that only riled up Seokjin with fury.

 

“Maybe it's not just all about you, Taehyung. And you can't say things like that when we are both in this together.”

 

“Are we, Seokjin?” Taehyung finally looked up at him with glassy brown eyes.

 

“Not if you don't want to, then no. If you keep thinking you are the only one who got stuck in this- whatever this is, soon you will be.” Seokjin stood up, crossing the hall with long strides.

Seokjin stormed out off the mansion, slamming the door behind him before vanishing into thin air. 

 

_____________ 

 

It has been weeks since Seokjin left Taehyung's mansion. Taehyung returned to work four days before his vacation ended, determined to find Seokjin and to apologize to him (according to Jinwoo). Except, Seokjin was equally determined to not to let his soulmate succeed, avoiding him in every single way he could think of. Using Floo powder to travel from the Ministry, check. Avoiding office functions like the bloody plague, double check.

 

And he really didn’t want to think back to the time when he had to hide in a dusty old broom closet full of hairy spiders, eventually ending up sneezing loud enough for Hyunwon to jolt awake from his sleep (he didn't even want to know how and why he was sleeping in a chair in an awkward position) and almost breaking the door thinking a Boggart was inside it.

 

Fortunately, he had succeeded in avoiding the taupe haired male for two straight weeks, much to Jinwoo’s dismay. Jinwoo said that Taehyung really wasn't himself the past weeks and looked devastated. Only twice he bumped into Taehyung, the first time flicking him off. And avoided any sorts of eye contact with the said male the other time. 

 

Mostly because he wanted to pretend as if Taehyung was invisible. Partly, because if Jinwoo’s description of his devastated soulmate was true, Seokjin wouldn't be able stay away from him much longer. So he had to make do with his plans, which he did. Until he got too carried away with his apparent success and threw himself happily into the mammoth task of organizing the annual ball of Ministry of Magic. Altogether forgetting about his goal for the past two weeks. 

Unfortunately, the moment he started enjoying the kinda boring but elegant party he worked hard for days to arrange, his eyes fell on one particular male stalker of him he did not want to bump into a million years. Lee Jongsuk. 

That guy was determined to hit on Seokjin on every single opportunity. So when Seokjin spotted him across the hall, he was suddenly overcome with a desire to bolt out of the door. It wasn’t like his fear was baseless either, the healer stalked him for straight two months last year until Seokjin yelled that he wasn't available loud enough for the whole Saint Mungos to hear. He hasn't stepped inside the hospital since the incident.

 

Merlin's freaking pants, Seokjin thought. And he hadn’t even gotten to the free beverages part, which was clearly one of the soul reasons why Seokjin agreed to attend another boring Ministry party. 

 

Seokjin ducked behind trolleys of fairy cake buns which were magically being pushed around, heading towards the purple glitter curtains. He carefully tiptoed to hide behind them. The moment he took a step back his shoulders bumped into someone, almost tripping the chair. Seokjin squeezed his eyes shut, expecting the chair to fall and Jongsuk to rush over to him in a heartbeat. 

 

“Can we please talk?” Seokjin froze at the deep voice near him.

 

He turned around to find Kim Taehyung clad in blue and tan checked suit with a dusty blue bow, almost identical to muggle attire. He looked otherworldly handsome and unexplainably exhausted. “At least please let me explain something”,Taehyung pleaded.

 

Seokjin wondered whether Jinwoo's assumptions were true in the first place. Because Taehyung looked like he cried himself to sleep every night with almost invisible streaks on his cheeks. Seokjin winced at the thought of doing this to him, but it wasn't like Taehyung's words did not do a toll on him either.

 

“I thought you made yourself pretty clear the last time.” Seokjin decided to let nothing hold him back from throwing shades. Taehyung looked almost at the verge of a breakdown with glassy eyes.

 

“I didn't- I’m bad with words, and worse with feelings Seokjin. I'm so sorry for the way I reacted.” And somehow the words tugged on Seokjin's heart. He almost wanted to break his resolute with the overwhelming urge to comfort the broken male in front of him. Before he could decide on this, he heard the laughter of Jongsuk drifting from close-by.

Seokjin reconsidered his options as he peeked out of the curtains to find Jinwoo shoving dragon balls inside his cheeks to avoid answering Jongsuk. He almost shivered with the thought of eating those dragon balls he hated with a passion. Eating a bucket of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans in one go would be much easier.

“Okay. Only if you can get me out of this situation.” Seokjin grabbed at the last straws he had.

 

“Anything.” Taehyung replied a bit too solemnly. 

 

“Pretend like you're the one the I came with. In front of Jongsuk.” Taehyung nodded eagerly. He seemed to have pieced together the puzzle. And if almost on cue, Jongsuk peeked through the curtains before joining them.

“Seokjin, It's been so long!” Seokjin smiled back bitterly as they exchanged greetings.

“Did you come here by yourself?” Jongsuk asked. Taehyung took it as his cue to step up and stretched out a hand towards him, breaking into a broad smile. Seokjin looked away from the captivating sight, careful not to let the innocent smile whisk him away like it did before. 

 

“Now I couldn't let such a good looking guy come here all alone, could I?” Taehyung replied. He looked at Taehyung, almost scanning him from head to toes. Taehyung seemed unnerved by the intense gaze and smirked devilishly towards him. 

Seokjin realized, Taehyung could be quite intimidating when he wanted to. “And you must be…” Taehyung cut him off mid-sentence. 

 

“Kim Taehyung, Department of Control and Confiscation of Muggle Artifacts. Pleasure to meet you.” He flushed a bright smile at him, giving him a firm handshake before looping his arm with Seokjin's. He’s hair suddenly started changing into a brilliant shade of silver as if someone just spilled a bucket of glitter on his smooth strands. He’d comment on it right then and there but he was too swept away by Taehyung's saving act to retort at him.

 

“Seokjin-ah, I think we're needed up there.” Taehyung tugged impatiently on Seokjin's arms. Seokjin smiled fondly at Taehyung, playing along the act. Jongsuk frowned at the endearing name and excused himself as another healer called for him.

 

Seokjin stared at them until they were no longer within site. “Please, Seokjin.” Seokjin slowly unattached his arm from the male’s. Taehyung didn't miss a beat as he lunged forward to catch his wrist.

 

“There’s not much left to talk about.” Seokjin tried to turn away again. He didn't build up a wall around him for Taehyung to chip away it that easily. 

 

“Just this once, let me explain. This is all I ask, Jin. Please.” Again, the fluttering feeling returned in Seokjin's stomach. Only a handful of people ever called him anything besides Master Kim, his colleagues always referred to him Seokjin, his younger peers were sometimes just too bratty to call him hyung but rarely he was called Jin. 

 

“Okay but first ...” Seokjin quirked an eyebrow at him. “When I started talking to him, your strands were taupe. Seconds later, it turned faded silver. Why is that?” Taehyung diverted his eyes to the floor as blood rushed to his face.

 

“Veela tendency of getting protective of their soulmate when they need help of any sort,” he muttered under his breath.

 

“So you can't accept me being fated to you but you can't accept me being with someone else either?” Seokjin retorted.

 

“I'm sorry, Seokjin. What I said back there wasn't what I meant.” 

 

“So now I'm being accused of pitying and misunderstanding people. And I thought this day couldn't get any worse.” Seokjin replied bitterly.

 

“Or maybe I'm just the one bad at expressing my feelings and thoughts.” Seokjin quirked an eyebrow at Taehyung's response. 

 

“Okay… I'm just going to start right from the beginning.” He exhaled slowly, as if he was trying to speak the words already mulled over for a hundred times. “I’m terrified at the idea of being left behind. Being born a veela just added to it. My whole life I’ve been searching for you- my soulmate, with no avail. And just when I gave on the very idea, you came along. It was so perfect. It was everything I ever wanted. But when I finally got what I was looking for, I couldn't stop panicking over every single thing that could go wrong.” Taehyung looked up to lock eyes with him. “I started thinking what if I’m not good enough for him? What if he's only sticking around for the sake of keeping me alive?” Taehyung had tears forming in his silver eyes.

 

Seokjin fought the urge to wipe them off. “You think I only wanted to do this to keep you alive?” Seokjin retorted in disbelief. He finally understood why Taehyung freaked out at the idea of getting everything he ever wanted. But how could he really think of Seokjin like that when he didn't even properly know him, without giving him a chance to know him.

 

Taehyung shaked his head furiously. “But I wouldn't be able to tell the difference at first, Seokjin. I know I lashed out on you when neither of us got to have make a choice. But please try to understand it from my side too.” Taehyung tightened his grip on Seokjin's shoulders. “I did like you before - even before we found out, you know. That's why I knew your name. I really wanted to get to know you, I like you Seokjin, a lot. I wanted someone- I wanted you to choose me.” 

 

Seokjin finally gave in to his urge at the sudden confession and reached out his hand, gently wiping away a stray tear from Taehyung's cheeks. Taehyung closed his eyes at the contact and leaned into the touch.

 

“And I wanted to forget for a moment that you are a veela, so we could give it a chance like other people do. But you had to make it all about you- Merlin he’s heading this way again!” Seokjin grabbed Taehyung's hand. He mouthed a ‘help me out’ before Taehyung laced his fingers with his own and brought the hand to rest it on his waist.

 

“Would you like to dance with me?” Seokjin felt Taehyung tightening his grip on his shoulder as he gently started swaying with beats.

 

Seokjin sighed. “I don't like dancing that much.”

 

“And I don't like this stalker of yourself. Yet here we are.” Seokjin let out a chuckle. Normally he’d throw a fuss over the fact that he has no right to behave like a passively possessive partner because they aren't - anything. But he couldn't do that when this twenty four years old was standing wrapped in his arms with a childish pout like that. Seokjin couldn't help chuckling at that, making Taehyung's pout slowly stretch into a grin. 

 

As Taehyung tried (and failed) to twirl Seokjin around, they both missed a beat. Ending up in tangled limbs and slowly breaking into laughter. However, Taehyung did not miss a beat when he got the chance to compliment the beauty of the now lavishly decorated place. The place was devoid of usual grey stone walls, sporting shades of black instead. The clear night sky was visible above their head with the stars shining brighter than he ever saw. Silver sparkles seemed to be falling from the ceiling now, dissolving into the air just before reaching their heights. Taehyung looked up to take in the astonishing sight, making the bangs fall into his glassy eyes and he grinned even brighter. Seokjin couldn't look away from the site.

 

“And why are you fretting over him Mr-I-don’t-get-green-but-my-hair-might?” Seokjin smiled smugly at the bloke who went horribly red at his words. Not that Seokjin was complaining at the glorious sight but he still found it hard to believe that he had the effect on the veela. Seokjin felt pleased with the reaction until it changed into something else.

 

“If only I could tell you how hard it was for me to turn my back on you Jin. How bad I wanted to hold you but couldn't.” Taehyung’s voice drifts off to a unsettling silence before provoking the longing in Seokjin again. 

 

“Let's get away from here, Tae. I don't think he's giving up anytime soon.” Taehyung looked over his shoulder to find Jongsuk heading towards them. Again.

 

“I think I have an idea.” Taehyung slowly rested his forehead on his soulmate's, his breath dragged across Seokjin’s skin as he closed his now silver eyes and leaned in, giving Seokjin enough time to back away.

 

Seokjin however, was rooted to his spot with wide eyes when Taehyung placed a deep kiss on the barely there dimple on his left cheek before slowly pulling away. Making it seem like he just kissed him on the lips to anyone footsteps away.

 

It was more chaste than he expected it to be, but it was more intimate and passionate than any kiss he ever had. It wasn’t miraculously supposed to make him feel assured about everything his soulmate just blurted out but it did. It's not supposed to a promise or a surrender to fate and believe it to be serendipitous but somehow it felt like it.

 

It was just supposed to be a peck from an almost stranger, to give his admirer the impression that he was unavailable. Which obviously worked seeing how Jongsuk froze and almost dropped his drink at the site. But it was just so much more than that.

 

“Well… it worked.” He looked tense as if he just broke too many boundaries, which well... he did. But Seokjin couldn't hold it against him when he knew Taehyung is nothing like anything he ever had. The thought both scared and thrilled him but that somehow made him feel more willing to listen to him.

 

“I’m so sorry for what I said, Seokjin. If you just give me another chance, I’ll try to work this- us out.” 

 

“Only because I can't let you leave with the absurd thought that you aren't good enough for me,” Seokjin replied on his attempt to lighten the tense expression Taehyung was sporting. Also because it was the truest thing he said to him.

 

And surely enough Taehyung smiled his unusually infectious boxy smile at the response. Eventually ending up biting the insides of his cheeks to keep himself from smiling too much. He tightly wrapped his arms around Seokjin.

 

Taehyung whispered a hushed 'thank you’ onto his skin and flashed a blinding smile. Making Seokjin feel as if he was enraptured in a slight haze, his senses heightened by ten times. He felt engulfed with scent of musk and cologne, he could feel the strength in the strong arms wrapped around him with tenderness, the pair eyes staring back at him longingly as if his own eyes held galaxies within them. 

 

Seokjin remembered falling in love with the idea of it, he could perfectly recall the faces whom he wanted to give a chance of it. But he couldn't remember ever feeling drowned in a whirlpool of emotions he can't yet put a name on. 

 

Maybe that was because he never felt a hundred emotions as if they were spilling from the fingertips of someone, not before Taehyung. Though opening up to him, taking a gamble on that moment and letting himself fall carelessly scared him, that's the only thing he could think of. And this time he wanted to let himself walk into this willingly, so he lets himself drown into the moment, smiling assuringly at the male.

 

The telltale way Taehyung's eyes lit up like the fireworks exploding above them made him feel that maybe, this sudden epiphany, the feeling of belonging to someone or wanting to, may become worthwhile. And as Taehyung broke into a warm smile and tangled his fingers with his own, he found himself hoping that it might stay this way for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really really hope that you guys like it. Thank you so much for all the support and I don't think I could go on writing without it. Please let me what you think it<3


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